Payday loans are available in almost every state in almost any community. They are available to people to help them through difficult financial times, like when a sudden bill or emergency comes up and they do not have the money to pay for it. There are topics on the fees the lender charges, the short term of the loans, and the legal aspects of payday loans - all of which we will explore. We will look at some good points and some not-so-good points, and you can make your own decision if a payday loan is of value for you.
The combination of fees and interest charges that the loan center charges can be of a very high percentage. Research shows that sometimes amounts over 400% are the actual charges for a $500 loan. As you can imagine, that sounds like a lot of money. But let's say you have four checks or debit card purchases that will be overdrawn on your account. The $87.50 fee for the payday loan is a better deal than four NSF charges of $35 each. So if you are in that position, you can save $52.50 in fees. Does it make sense to use a payday loan in that situation? Yes, it does make sense if you are able to cover the expenses on your next payday, which brings us to the next topic of the short term for which these loans are.
The term for most payday loans that I found in my research shows the maximum term of one month (or two pay periods if you get paid twice a month). The company making the loan makes automatic withdrawals from the bank account where it made the deposit at the beginning of the loan. The company takes one-half of the agreed upon amount on the next payday and the other half on the next payday. If you get paid only once a month, the company takes the whole amount on the next payday.
There have been legality questions raised about the short term loan centers opening all over the country regarding the fees and interest charges being excessive. Most states have laws regarding usury, which is charging an excessive amount of interest for a loan. Usury laws vary greatly from state to state, and as a result many payday loan centers have ties to a bank in a state with very lenient laws.
The business of making payday loans has been around for many years, and business appears to very good judging by the amount of new centers opening up. The payday loan does fill a niche in the credit market for people who need short-term loans to get through difficult times but do not qualify for bank loans. The interest rate is high, but may be better off than paying NSF charges that your bank will issue. The term is short, so you need to be sure you can pay it off in that short time. People who can't pay it back and who have to keep extending the loan get in financial trouble quickly. Since loan companies have figured out loopholes in the legal system, they are operating legally. Now you now some information about payday loans, and they can be useful as long as you are aware of the stipulations.
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